I'm Already There
by HPandWforever
Summary: Hunter makes a phone call home on his son's birthday while he's in a war zone. Kind of sad. Huntbastian. Third genre would be drama because of themes/content.


**This fic was inspired by the song 'I'm Already There' by Westlife. I was trying to figure out the storyline for a Kurtbastian AU I've had in my mind for a while when it came on, and my brain just kind of went 'Nope, you're doing Huntbastian today.' I hope you all enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Glee, the Warblers would have their own spin-off.**

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**I'm Already There**

'Hello? Sebastian Smythe speaking.'

'Seb, it's me, Hunter.'

The line went quiet for so long that Hunter felt the need to check if the connection hadn't been broken. Everything was working.

'Seb, honey? You still there?'

'Y- Yes, I'm here. I just didn't know you were going to call today. Speaking of, isn't it ridiculously late there?'

'Yeah, it's about two a.m., but I don't care. You didn't expect me to miss my son's birthday, did you?'

'Hunter, you're two continents away and in the middle of a war, I wasn't expecting anything.' Hunter could hear the joy and relief his husband must be feeling at not having to explain to their eldest why his father wasn't around to wish him a happy birthday. Hunter could just imagine what he would look like too. A little, 8-year-old bundle of untameable energy hanging off of Sebastian's leg, begging to see or hear his Dad and getting crushed at being told it wasn't possible.

'Babe? Hunt, are you there?'

'Yes, I'm here, sorry. I was just thinking.'

'Want me to go find him?'

At times like this it still amazed Hunter how well Sebastian seemed to know him. All he'd said was that he was thinking, yet he was sure that Sebastian knew exactly how badly he needed to hear his son's voice just then.

'Please. I've definitely still got a few minutes, but I don't know how long this line is going to hold after that.'

'Hang on, he's in his room getting ready for his big party.'

The line went quiet, except for some electrical appliance running in the background. Knowing Sebastian, it was probably the ridiculously expensive coffee-maker he had insisted they got.

'Dad?', a small voice asked suddenly. Hunter's heart clenched at the note of pure hope in his son's voice. Hope that he would actually get to talk to his Dad for the first time in months. He sounded slightly fuzzy, telling Hunter that his entire family was probably in the room, the phone on speaker.

'Yes, son, I'm here. Happy birthday Sammy.'

'I miss you. We all miss you, 'specially Papa. He won't say, but I can tell.'

'I miss you all too.'

A different, younger voice suddenly said, 'Daddy, when you coming home?'

Hunter closed his eyes for a moment, trying to figure out how to tell his children that he didn't know if he would be able to see them again without ruining Sam's birthday.

'Okay, I need you both to listen very closely to what I'm about to say. Can you do that for me?'

Twin responses of 'Yes Daddy' were spoken and Hunter took a deep breath before continuing. 'I want you both to go into the living room, your Papa can carry the phone for you. Now take a good look around at all the photographs in that room and find the ones that I'm on. I know Papa has at least on photo of me in every room, but most of them are in there. Look around and picture me being there with you. Any time you get sad or you miss me, you come into that room and close your eyes and I'll be right there with you.'

'But what if we're not here? If we're outside or at school?' Tommy asked.

'It doesn't matter where you are, I'll be there too. If you're outside playing and you hear the wind rustling through the plants, that's me laughing and talking to you. If it's a cloudy day or you're walking through some shade, that's me keeping the sun out of your eyes so you can see where you're going. When it's so sunny and hot that you can't find a cloud in the sky, that's because I'm so proud of you, so happy that you're my sons, that nothing can come between us. Or if it's raining, that's because I'm laughing so hard at one of your jokes that I've got tears streaming down my face.' Hunter was running out of analogies he could make. 'So remember, if you're ever doing something and wish I was with you, don't worry, I'm already there.'

Hunter had to stop talking, his voice was shaking so badly they wouldn't be able to understand him if he went on. He wiped a few stray tears from his eyes and could hear Sebastian clear his throat on the other end. After quickly doing the same he said, in a much lighter voice, 'Sammy, you should probably finish getting ready. Your Papa told me you've got a big party this afternoon, you don't want to look shabby, do you?'

'Alright Dad.'

'And take your brother with you. Happy birthday Sam, I love you both.'

'I love you too.'

'Love you too, Daddy.'

When Hunter heard the click telling him he wasn't on speakerphone anymore he knew they must have left the room.

'Hey.', Sebastian said, sounding a bit husky.

'Hey. You okay? I know it must kill you having to see them like that.'

'I'll be fine. That was beautiful, by the way. You're a regular poet.'

Hunter let out a small laugh. 'I have absolutely no idea where that came from, I was just trying to make them feel better. I think it might actually be from an old song or something.'

He could hear Sebastian laughing as well. 'If it works, I don't care where it came from. It'll be worth it just to keep them from begging me for answers I don't have.'

'It wasn't just for them, you know.'

Sebastian was quiet for a moment, and when he answered his voice was softer than before. 'I know. I love you.'

'And I love you, no matter what happens. So you need to remember what I said too, okay?'

'Yes, Hunter, I'll remember. Christ, what a bunch of saps we've turned into, you're going to be home in a few months.' But Hunter could hear the emotion in his voice, knowing he didn't mean it like that.

'Sebastian, I've got to go, someone's yelling. I love you, tell the boys too, would you?'

'Of course. I love you too. I'll see you in a few months.' The line went dead. They never said goodbye on calls like this, it always felt too weird, especially this time.

Looking down at the wounds littering his body, spilling his blood onto the floor of the house he'd found refuge in, Hunter knew that he wouldn't be going home in a few months, but he couldn't bring himself to tell his husband that it wasn't true. The family living in the house had let him use their phone. They all knew he wouldn't get another chance to say what he'd said just then, the area was too remote and by the time word got back to their base it would be too late anyway. Hunter just hoped that he would actually get to see them again one day.

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_**AN: I'm sorry! I had absolutely no plans to have it end that way, it just happened. In case any of you were wondering, Hunter and Sebastian's sons were actually named after my kid brothers, so no symbolism or references there. Review?**_


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